Icelandic Sagas

Victory and vengeance, honor and glory, blood and guts, feuds and
battles, swords and sorcery, warriors and poets - the Icelandic
sagas are the basis for them all.

Written down in the 12th and 13th centuries, the great Icelandic epics
and sagas record an older oral tradition dating back to the
4th or 5th centuries, though most take place between the 8th
and 12th centuries.

Many are family sagas, chronicling the achievements of mighty men
and women from Iceland's great families as they engage in
political maneuvering, blood feuds, and Viking raids and battles.

Much also concerns the clash between pagan and Christian during
the volatile period of Iceland's Christianization.

The
Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon
Slayer
Introduced by Jesse L. Byock

One
of the most exciting of the old Norse tales, Sigurd
and his kinsman battle a variety of foes, including
Attila the Hun. Much of Tolkien's mythology derives
from this tale that includes a ring of power. Set down
in writing in the 13th century, the tale dates orally
to the 4th-5th centuries. The germanic version is the
Nibelungenlied,
on which Wagner's ring cycle was based. A great place
to start your love affair with Icelandic sagas.

Set
at the turn of the 11th century, when Christianity was
making inroads into Icelandic paganism, this Icelandic
saga tells of Njal's attempts to preserve and protect
his family in the murky political environment of ancient
Iceland. Fascinating glimpses into Iceland's political,
social and religious structure at that time. Culminates
with the Battle of Clontarf (where Ireland's Brian Boru
defeats the Vikings).

One
of the great family stories, this Icelandic saga chronicles
four generations in Egil Skallagrimsson's family - warriors
and poets, with a rumor of troll blood, they fight in
Iceland, Norway, Scotland and elsewhere, living as mighty
men did in those far away days, pagan and Christian
alike.

An
epic for strong women, the Laxdaela Saga features Gudrun,
who marries four times, instigates blood feuds, and
generally illustrates the freedoms and powers assumed
by medieval Icelandic women. A great read.

Hrafnkel's
Saga and Other Icelandic Stories
translated by Hermann Palsson

These
short tales and stories provide a wonderful introduction
to Icelandic sagas and the Iceland of the times - a
unique land politically and religiously. An excellent
translation, readable and highly entertaining.

This
book combines two saga's: the Graenlendinga Saga
and Eirik's Saga, telling the magnificent stories
of Eirik the Red's settlement of Greenland and his son,
Lief Eiriksson's discovery and exploration of North
America. These are the only written accounts of these
achievements and bring to life what we learned in school.

Orkneyinga
Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney
translated by Hermann Palsson

The
Norse held northern Scotland for centuries, leaving
an indelible mark on Scottish history and culture. The
Orkneyinga Saga chronicles their rule. If you are familiar
with Stephen Lawhead's Celtic
Crusades series, you'll find familar characters
in these exciting tales.

If
you're going to buy just one, this might be it, especially
if you're new to the Icelandic sagas. This collection
of several of the family sagas contains a wealth of
"helps" - family trees, glossary, maps, explanations
of Iceland's history and politics, and more. A terrific
introduction to Icelandic epic.

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